Secular Coalition for America - Christian Nationhttps://www.secular.org/taxonomy/term/11/0
The U.S. Constitution established a secular government - a unique and intentional construction by our founders. The Secular Coalition for America challenges claims that we are a "Christian nation" and other theocratic fallacies that subvert our system of government.enA Modern English "Translation" of Thomas Jefferson's Virginia Statute for Religious Freedomhttps://www.secular.org/news/modern-english-translation-thomas-jeffersons-virginia-statute-religious-freedom
<p>Find below our modern English "translation" of&nbsp;Thomas Jefferson's Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, passed on January 16, 1786.&nbsp;The statute led to the formation of the establishment clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution, which&nbsp;guarantees&nbsp;freedom of religion to all Americans.</p>
<p>You can read the&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Statute_for_Religious_Freedom" target="_blank">original text</a>&nbsp;of the statute here.&nbsp;</p>
<h1>An Act for Establishing Religious Freedom</h1>
<p>We are all born with the ability to think, and attempts to control our thoughts by punishments or jail tend to bring about only hypocrisy and meanness. To attempt to control our thoughts in this way would be a divergence from God's plan, as despite being all powerful, God chose not to force religion on humans, opting to give us free will instead.</p>
<p>It is a disrespectful presumption for any leader-civil or religious-who are all imperfect beings, to attempt to control the faiths of others, by imposing their own opinions and ways of thinking as the only true and right way. In attempting to push their beliefs on others, they have established and maintained false religions over the greatest part of the world and throughout time.</p>
<p>To make an individual pay for the teaching of beliefs he doesn't share is wrong and cruel. Even when a person is forced to support his own religion, doing so takes away that person's choice to support a particular pastor or religious leader he idolizes, and negatively impacts the church, which generally does sincere work to benefit humankind.</p>
<p>Our civil rights are not based on any religious belief, just like our opinions on science or math are not. Therefore, forbidding any citizen from public office or receiving a salary, based on their religious beliefs would be to unfairly deprive that person of privileges and advantages they have a natural right to, just like everyone else. This behavior only corrupts the principles of the very religion it is meant to encourage, by bribing with a monopoly of heaven and money, those who will proclaim their religiosity and conform to it. Even though it is illegal to bribe, those who encourage it are guilty too.</p>
<p>To allow a legislator to tell people what to think and to prevent the sharing of ideas on the uncertain belief that they could be evil is a mistake that at once destroys all religious liberty. That is because when the legislator decides what's evil, the government's opinion gets to decide what's evil, and to approve or condemn the views of others based only on whether that person agrees or disagrees with the accepted opinion. This negatively impacts the government's ability to do what is right for the purposes of a civil society, and for officers to act when there is a true threat to peace and good order.</p>
<p>Truth is great, and will prevail if left to herself. Truth is the proper and sufficient enemy to mistakes, has nothing to fear, and unless human interference takes away her natural weapons of free argument and debate, being wrong isn't dangerous when truth is allowed to overrule it.</p>
<p>Be it enacted by General Assembly that no person shall be forced to attend or fund any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall he or she be forced, restrained, molested-physically or financially-burdened, or otherwise suffer on account of being open about his or her religious beliefs. Instead, all people shall be free to have and maintain their religious beliefs and opinions, with no impact on their rights as citizens.</p>
<p>As an assembly elected by the people for the purpose of passing laws, we understand that we have no power to limit the acts of future assemblies with the same powers as ours, and therefore have no ability to declare that this act cannot be repealed. However, we are free to declare that the rights listed above are inherent and cannot be taken away by law, and if any act shall be passed subsequent to this statute-either to repeal or limit it-we declare that law to be a violation of our natural rights as human beings and Americans.&nbsp;</p>
<div></div>News StoryChristian NationCivil Rights/Religious DiscriminationFri, 16 Jan 2015 18:50:21 +0000Lauren Youngblood2076 at https://www.secular.orgSecular Americans Encourage All to Celebrate National Day of Reasonhttps://www.secular.org/news/secular-americans-encourage-all-celebrate-national-day-reason
<p>WASHINGTON, D.C. &mdash; The Secular Coalition for America is encouraging Americans of all religious backgrounds and none, to celebrate the National Day of Reason, on May 1. The National Day of Reason is a more inclusive alternative to the congressionally endorsed National Day of Prayer and aims to raise awareness of the persistent threat to true religious liberty posed by the insertion of religious belief into secular law. &nbsp;</p>
<p>Secular Coalition for America Executive Director, Edwina Rogers, said the National Day of Reason reminds us of the importance of our nation&rsquo;s founding principles and offers reason as something everyone can celebrate as opposed to government-sponsored prayer, which excludes millions of Americans who do not pray or believe that prayer should be personal and private.</p>
<p>Rogers said the National Day of Reason has particular significance this year as the Supreme Court is expected to rule on the constitutionality of legislative prayer in the Town of Greece v. Galloway decision expected in a few months.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Our Founding Fathers recognized that secularism and religious freedom, which includes freedom from religion, are the best guarantee of individual rights,&rdquo; Rogers said. &ldquo;Whenever government involves itself in religious practice, it undermines the constitutional principle of church-state separation.&rdquo; The National Day of Prayer was created in 1952 by an act of Congress to be held each year on the first Thursday of May. In&nbsp;<a href="http://nationaldayofreason.org/about-the-national-day-of-reason/">response</a>&nbsp;to what it regards as an ongoing violation of the First Amendment, the American Humanist Association&mdash;a Secular Coalition voting member organization&mdash;together with the Washington Area Secular Humanists, created the National Day of Reason &ldquo;to celebrate reason&mdash;a concept all Americans can support&mdash;and to raise public awareness about the persistent threat to religious liberty posed by government intrusion into the private sphere of worship.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Many secular and nontheistic groups across the country observe the National Day of Reason by participating in blood drives, holding rallies outside state government building or host social gatherings. Some groups also hold rallies outside state government buildings or host social gatherings.</p>
<p><a href="http://states.secular.org/states/california">The Secular Coalition for California</a>&nbsp;is organizing a lobby day on the National Day of Reason in Sacramento. Secular Lobby Day will include lobbying training and scheduled lobbying visits with the offices of legislators at the California State Capitol. The Secular Coalition for Rhode Island was instrumental in convincing Governor Lincoln D. Chaffee to issue a proclamation declaring May 1 a &ldquo;Day of Reason&rdquo; in the state.</p>
<p>The Secular Coalition for America urges all Americans to support the constitutional principle of church-state separation by recognizing the National Day of Reason. Supporters are encouraged to visit the official website,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nationaldayofreason.org/">NationalDayOfReason.org</a>, to post an event in their area and learn how to encourage local governments to issue a National Day of Reason proclamation.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>CONTACT</strong>: Lauren Anderson Youngblood, SCA Communications Manager at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lauren@secular.org">lauren@secular.org</a>&nbsp;or (202)299-1091 ext. 205, cell (202)630-9725</p>Press Releases"under God" in the PledgeAcknowledging NontheistsChristian NationOfficial PrayersMon, 28 Apr 2014 18:37:46 +0000Lauren Youngblood1933 at https://www.secular.orgModel Secular Policy Guide for Legislatureshttps://www.secular.org/content/model-secular-policy-guide-legislatures
<p><a href="http://secular.org/files/model_secular_policy_guide1.pdf"><img style="float: right;" src="http://secular.org/files/mspg_cover.jpg" border="0" width="232" height="299" /></a>The Secular Coalition&rsquo;s <a href="http://secular.org/files/model_secular_policy_guide1.pdf">Model Secular Policy Guide</a> is a collaboration of the entire nontheistic movement, endorsed by 86 nontheistic, secular and affiliated organizations across the country. The guide covers a multitude of issues affecting secular and nontheistic Americans in public life including health policy, science education, tax exemptions, religiously-based discrimination, and the treatment of nontheists in the military, among others.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Model Policy Guide is meant to help educate legislators on the views of secular and nontheistic Americans on pertinent issues, and includes historical background and legal precedent. It will be distributed to every office on Capitol Hill, state legislative offices across the country and will also be available on the Coalition&rsquo;s website following the launch events.</p>
<p><strong>Areas of focus include: <br /></strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Health and Safety</li>
<li>Education </li>
<li>Discrimination </li>
<li>Tax Policy</li>
<li>Military </li>
<li>International</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://secular.org/files/model_secular_policy_guide1.pdf">View or download the guide here &gt;&gt;</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>ResearchExecutive Branch "under God" in the PledgeAcknowledging NontheistsBoy ScoutsChristian NationCivil Rights/Religious DiscriminationConscience ClausesCourt StrippingCreationism/Intelligent DesignFaith-Based ProgramsJudicial NominationsLGBT Civil RightsMarriage AmendmentMember OrganizationsNontheist Public OfficialsOfficial PrayersOur ConstituencyPrivileging ReligionReligion in Political CampaignsReligion in the MilitaryReligious Symbols on Gov't PropertyReproductive RightsRLUIPA/RFRASex EducationStem CellsVouchers for Religious SchoolsWed, 11 Dec 2013 14:54:03 +0000Lauren Youngblood1800 at https://www.secular.orgAtheists Denounce House 'Religion Resolution' https://www.secular.org/news/atheists-denounce-house-religion-resolution
<p>WASHINGTON, DC-- The Secular Coalition for America today denounced a resolution (H. RES. 789) introduced in the U.S. House by Stephen Fincher (TN-8) that attempts to &ldquo;reaffirm the importance of religion in the lives of United States citizens&rdquo; and makes reference to the country&rsquo;s &ldquo;Judeo-Christian heritage.&rdquo; <br /><br />Fincher&rsquo;s resolution cites a number of cases of religious symbolism or religion being inserted into government, to bolster the resolution&rsquo;s<img style="float: left; margin: 5px;" src="http://secular.org/files/press_release.jpg" border="0" width="240" height="207" /> claim that the U.S. is a religious nation. Some examples include the adoption of &ldquo;In God we Trust&rdquo; as the national motto in 1956. The resolution also &ldquo;rejects efforts to remove evidence of Judeo-Christian heritage and references to God from public structures and resources.&rdquo; <br /><br />&ldquo;A resolution that &lsquo;reaffirms the importance of religion&rsquo;&mdash;specifically a Judeo-Christian religion&mdash;in the lives of Americans excludes the many Americans for whom religion is not important, or those who do not identify with a Judeo-Christian religion. This only serves to divide rather than unite Americans,&rdquo; said Edwina Rogers, Executive Director of the Secular Coalition for America. &ldquo;This resolution insinuates that because Christianity is the majority religion in the United States, the religion and its followers should be privileged by our government, but this logic is problematic &ndash; our Constitution is secular precisely to protect all Americans regardless of their religious beliefs or lack of religious beliefs.&rdquo; <br /><br />Additionally, the resolution points out that 32 percent of charitable donations went to religious organizations. The overwhelming majority&mdash;<a href="http://www.nps.gov/partnerships/fundraising_individuals_statistics.htm">68 percent of charitable donations</a>&mdash;went to charities not classified as religious&mdash;including international affairs, health, education, human services, the environment and arts&mdash;indicating that secular institutions contribute greatly to the civic character of the U.S.&nbsp; <br /><br />The resolution cites a 2007 survey from the Pew Forum on Religion &amp; Public Life survey that showed 92 percent of U.S. Citizens believe in God and 78.4 percent identify as Christian.&nbsp; According to more recent statistics released by the Pew Forum on Religion &amp; Public life, <a href="http://religions.pewforum.org/affiliations">16</a> -<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2012-07-19/no-religion-affiliation/56344976/1">19</a>&nbsp; percent of U.S. citizens do not identify with any religion.<br /><br />&ldquo;This resolution attempts to cloud the issue by including statistics that indicate religious Americans are in the majority&mdash;in reality, it doesn&rsquo;t matter if one hundred percent of the population is religious, that still does not change our nation&rsquo;s founding principles,&rdquo; Rogers said. &ldquo;Our Constitution makes no reference to God and instead derives its power from &lsquo;we the people&rsquo;, our laws are made by politicians not clergy, and our First Amendment outlines a separation of religion and government that has consistently been upheld by our Supreme Court. Our government is secular&mdash;there are no two ways about it.&rdquo; <br /><br />The resolution also makes reference to the yearly appropriations by Congress for Congressional and military chaplains&mdash;an issue that Secular Coalition and member organization, the <a href="http://militaryatheists.org/">Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers</a>, takes a stance against. <a href="http://secular.org/content/military">Nontheistic service members</a> do not have a nontheistic chaplain with whom they can discuss their personal values.</p>Press ReleasesChristian NationReligion in the MilitaryTue, 25 Sep 2012 18:27:58 +0000Lauren Youngblood1173 at https://www.secular.orgSecular Coalition and American Humanists Applaud Rep. Pete Stark on Issuing National Day of Reason Proclamationhttps://www.secular.org/content/2012-Day-of-Reason-release
<p>WASHINGTON, D.C. &ndash; &ndash; The Secular Coalition for America and the American Humanist Association are pleased that U.S. Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) has officially recognized the National Day of Reason by issuing a proclamation in the House of Representatives. The National Day of Reason, to be observed on May 3, is an alternative to the congressionally endorsed National Day of Prayer. &nbsp;<br /> <br /> The proclamation states, in part, &ldquo;Our nation faces many problems&mdash;bringing our troops home from Afghanistan, creating jobs, educating our children, and protecting our safety net from irresponsible cuts. We will solve these issues through the application of reason. We must also protect women&rsquo;s reproductive choices, the integrity of scientific research, and our public education system from those who would hide behind religious dogma to undermine them.&rdquo; To view the full text of the proclamation, click <a href="http://www.stark.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=2404:floor-statement-recognizing-the-national-day-of-reason&amp;catid=88:floor-statements-2012&amp;Itemid=500236">here</a>.<br /> <br /> &ldquo;Reason should be the guiding force for public policy,&rdquo; said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association. &ldquo;The National Day of Prayer excludes millions of Americans who choose not to pray or prefer keeping prayer private. Reason is something that everyone can celebrate.&rdquo;<br /> <br /> Lauren Anderson Youngblood, communications manager for the Secular Coalition for America, agreed. &nbsp;<br /> <br /> &ldquo;Our founders recognized that the best guarantee of freedom for all was a separation of religion and government,&rdquo; Youngblood said. &ldquo;The National Day of Reason reminds us of the continued importance of our nation&rsquo;s founding principles and offers an alternative to the government-sponsored theism that the National Day of Prayer represents.&rdquo;&nbsp; &nbsp;<br /> <br /> The event is scheduled on the first Thursday in May each year to coincide with the National Day of Prayer in order to raise awareness of the threat to religious liberty posed by government intrusion into the private sphere of worship. Many local groups affiliated with the American Humanist Association observe the National Day of Reason by participating in blood drives, holding rallies outside state government building or host social gatherings. Some groups also hold rallies outside state government buildings or host social gatherings. The National Day of Reason website, <a href="http://www.nationaldayofreason.org/">NationalDayofReason.org</a>, was established by the American Humanist Association and the Washington Area Secular Humanists.<br /> <br /> The American Humanist Association and the Secular Coalition for America urge all Americans to support the constitutional principal of church-state separation by recognizing the National Day of Reason. Supporters are encouraged to visit the official website, NationalDayOfReason.org, to post an event in their area, sign a petition to be sent to President Obama, and learn how to encourage local governments to issue a National Day of Reason proclamation.<br /> <br /><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> Contacts:</span></strong><br /> <br /><strong> Secular Coalition for America</strong>: Lauren Anderson Youngblood, Communications Manager, Office: (202) 299-1091 x205, Mobile: (202) 630-9725, <a href="mailto:lauren@secular.org">lauren@secular.org</a> <br /> <br /><strong> American Humanist Association</strong>: Brian Magee, Communications Associate, (202) 238-9088 ex. 105, Mobile: (202) 681-2425, <a href="mailto:bmagee@americanhumanist.org">bmagee@americanhumanist.org</a></p>Press ReleasesAcknowledging NontheistsChristian NationNontheist Public OfficialsPrivileging ReligionMon, 30 Apr 2012 13:50:10 +0000Lauren Youngblood632 at https://www.secular.orgSecular Coalition Fails Most 2012 Presidential Candidates on Religiously Intrusive Issueshttps://www.secular.org/content/secular-coalition-fails-most-2012-presidential-candidates-religiously-intrusive-issues
<p>WASHINGTON, D.C. &ndash;The Secular Coalition for America today released its<a href="http://secular.org/content/2012-presidental-candidate-scorecard"> 2012 Presidential Candidate Scorecard</a>&mdash;a guide for secular-minded Americans on the presidential candidates in the upcoming 2012 election. The scorecard ranks the major candidates of both Republican and Democratic parties on issues important to nontheistic Americans, and all Americans who support a robust separation of church and state.<br /><br />Of the three leading Republican candidates, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and U.S. Representative Ron Paul received mostly negative scores, while former U.S. Representative and Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich received a grade of &ldquo;F&rdquo; in almost every category. U.S. Representative Michelle Bachmann, Texas Governor Rick Perry, and former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum also received almost exclusively negative grades in most categories. Former Utah Governor and Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman and President Barack Obama received mixed positives.<br /><br />&ldquo;Given the current political climate, I&rsquo;m not surprised that the candidates received mixed ratings at best,&rdquo; said Herb Silverman, President of the Secular Coalition for America. &ldquo;Nontheists almost never get the opportunity to vote for a candidate who openly acknowledges being an atheist, but it&rsquo;s frightening to see that at least half of the candidates don&rsquo;t have a basic understanding of the principle of separation of church and state on which our country was founded.&rdquo;<br /><br />The scorecard assigned grades of<strong> "A", "B", "C</strong>" or <strong>"F"</strong> to the eight major candidates <strong>based on their public statements</strong> and <strong>actions </strong>on nine subjects:</p>
<ul>
<li>Attitude Toward Nontheists</li>
<li>Church &amp; State Separation</li>
<li>Taxpayer Funding of Religion</li>
<li>God, Faith &amp; Governance</li>
<li>Endorsements &amp; Associations</li>
<li>Evolution</li>
<li>Scientifically Based Regulations &amp; Legislation</li>
<li>Religious Discrimination &amp; Civil Rights</li>
<li>Religious Refusal Laws&nbsp; </li>
</ul>
<p><br />With the rise of the Christian Right, religion has played an increased role in recent elections. This year, the candidates have emphasized how their religious faith influences their public life. In November, all but two of the Republican candidates&mdash;Jon Huntsman and Mitt Romney&mdash;participated in the Thanksgiving Family Forum debate at an Iowa evangelical mega-church which focused on the candidates&rsquo; religious beliefs.<br /><br />For the nearly 50 million secular Americans&mdash;and the millions more who value the separation of church and state&mdash;the scorecard provides information on where each candidate stands on issues important to them.<br /><br />Of the mixed positive grades, Huntsman scored well because of his ability to separate his personal religious beliefs from his secular duties as an elected official. Obama also received positive marks because of his open inclusion of nontheists, and support for separation of church and state and scientifically based regulations and legislation.<br /><br />Of the lead Republicans, Gingrich&rsquo;s responses were overwhelmingly negative, showing hostility toward secular Americans and an unwillingness to separate his religious beliefs from his previous and prospective roles as an elected official. His statements were hostile to atheists, going so far as to refer to atheists as un-American. He said, &ldquo;I am convinced that if we do not decisively win the struggle over the nature of America, by the time [my grandchildren are] my age they will be in a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists and with no understanding of what it once meant to be an American.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;While voters will choose a candidate based on many issues, we hope this scorecard will help voters make a more informed decision,&rdquo; Secular Coalition President Herb Silverman said. &ldquo;We will continue to hold all our politicians accountable to the constitutional mandate for separation of church and state.&rdquo;<br /><br />Closer to the November 2012 election, the Secular Coalition will publish an updated scorecard to compare both the Republican and Democratic party nominees, including Vice Presidential running mates, and any notable third-party candidates.<br /><br />View the 2012 Presidential Candidate Scorecard in its entirety at<a href="http://secular.org/content/2011-presidental-candidate-scorecard"> http://secular.org/content/2012-presidental-candidate-scorecard</a>. View the PDF at <a href="http://secular.org/files/2012scapresidentialcandidatescorecard.pdf">http://secular.org/files/2012scapresidentialcandidatescorecard.pdf</a>.</p>
<p><br /><br /><strong>CONTACT: </strong>Lauren Anderson Youngblood, SCA communications manager:202-299-1091 ext. 205 or <a href="mailto:lauren@secular.org">lauren@secular.org</a> <br /><br />The Secular Coalition for America is a 501 c(4) organization that serves as the national lobby for atheists, humanists, freethinkers, and other nontheistic Americans. Composed of ten diverse member organizations, SCA works to protect and strengthen the secular character of our government as the best guarantee of freedom for all. For more information, please visit <a href="http://www.secular.org" title="www.secular.org">www.secular.org</a>.</p>Press ReleasesAcknowledging NontheistsBoy ScoutsChristian NationCivil Rights/Religious DiscriminationConscience ClausesCreationism/Intelligent DesignFaith-Based ProgramsLGBT Civil RightsMarriage AmendmentOfficial PrayersPrivileging ReligionReligion in Political CampaignsSex EducationVouchers for Religious SchoolsThu, 22 Dec 2011 21:59:00 +0000Lauren Youngblood518 at https://www.secular.orgSCA Arizona State Affiliate to Hold Candidate Training Programhttps://www.secular.org/content/sca-arizona-state-affiliate-hold-candidate-training-program
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<p><span> </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span>The Secular Coalition for Arizona, a state affiliate of the Secular Coalition for America, will be organizing training events this fall for secular Arizonans who are interested in running for office. Training will primarily be aimed at those interested in running for local and state level offices such as school board, city council, and state legislature. This training will focus on campaigning, messaging, and the nuts and bolts of effective leadership.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"We hope to inspire some secular candidates. The best way to combat the Religious Right is to elect people who will stand up for the separation of church and state and the rights of secular Americans,&rdquo; said Matt Schoenley, Executive Director of the Secular Coalition for Arizona.&nbsp;Candidate training is provided by the Arizona Local Progressive Candidate Training Program and is sponsored by the Center for Progressive Leadership, Planned Parenthood Arizona and the Arizona Education Association&mdash;organizations and constituencies that, like the Secular Coalition for Arizona, are frequently attacked by the Religious Right.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For more information, see the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.secularaz.org/files/PDF/CandidateTrainingFlyer.pdf" target="_blank">flier</a>&nbsp;or visit the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.secularaz.org/" target="_blank">Secular Coalition for Arizona website</a>. &nbsp;Candidates can&nbsp;<a href="http://www.azcandidate.progressiveleadership.org/candidate.php/application/index/candidate" target="_blank">apply here</a>.</p>
</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>News StoryChristian NationNontheist Public OfficialsTue, 06 Sep 2011 13:51:02 +0000Nick Fish454 at https://www.secular.org‘Ten Commandments Weekend’ Resolution is Misguided, Inaccuratehttps://www.secular.org/content/%E2%80%98ten-commandments-weekend%E2%80%99-resolution-misguided-inaccurate
<p>WASHINGTON, D.C. &ndash; The Secular Coalition for America today lambasted a proposed House resolution &ldquo;expressing support for designation of the first weekend of May as Ten Commandments Weekend&rdquo; as a misguided proposal that distracts House members from more important public policy issues while encouraging government support of particular religious beliefs &ndash; in violation of America&rsquo;s founding principles.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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</p><p>&ldquo;Taken literally, the first commandment alone prescribes death to Buddhists, Hindus, atheists, humanists, and anyone else who does not worship the god of the Old Testament,&rdquo; said Sean Faircloth, executive director of the Secular Coalition for America. &ldquo;It is not the job of government to pick winners and losers based on religion in a diverse and pluralistic society.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />&ldquo;At a time when our nation faces three wars and an economic downturn, why are our lawmakers wasting taxpayers&rsquo; time and money picking which religious beliefs receive government recognition?&rdquo; asked Faircloth. &ldquo;This legislation is theocratic grandstanding, pure and simple. The resolution&rsquo;s sponsors should stop wasting taxpayer money on such symbolic distractions, act like grownups, and work on real issues affecting everyday Americans.&rdquo;<br /><br />With the exception of the commandments against murder, theft, and perjury&mdash;which are not unique to and even predate Judeo-Christian teachings&mdash;nothing in the Ten Commandments is codified in U.S. law. In fact, there are millions of moral Americans, believers and nonbelievers alike, who reject the first three commandments outright. The first three commandments as listed in the King James Version of the Bible in &ldquo;Exodus 20: 2-17&rdquo; command people to worship only the god of the Old Testament, to not make idols of false gods, and to not take the lord&rsquo;s name in vain. <br /><br />H. Res. 211 was introduced by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) and 21 co-sponsors on April 7 and referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. It claims the Ten Commandments are &ldquo;a widely respected code of personal conduct and a declaration of fundamental principles for a fair and just society that transcend the diversity of cultural expression and faith in the United States,&rdquo; even though the Commandments call for the punishment of death for non-Judeo-Christian religious practices; violation of the Sabbath; adultery; and coveting a neighbor&rsquo;s &ldquo;male or female slave, or ox, or donkey.&rdquo; <br /><br />&ldquo;None of those ancient rules exist in modern-day U.S. law,&rdquo; Faircloth said. &ldquo;No matter which of the multiple versions of the Ten Commandments one refers to, in this country, we don&rsquo;t execute people for practicing a minority religion or for working on Saturday. The commandments are so outdated that they implicitly accept &ndash; but never denounce &ndash; the practice of slavery. These are not values Americans should waste a perfectly good weekend reflecting upon.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>News StoryPress ReleasesChristian NationOfficial PrayersPrivileging ReligionReligious Symbols on Gov't PropertyTue, 19 Apr 2011 15:36:49 +0000Mike Meno358 at https://www.secular.orgReject Michele Bachmann's Sectarian Prayer Amendment, Says Secular Coalition for Americahttps://www.secular.org/bachmann_prayer
<p><em>Last night the Secular Coalition for America and its allies discovered that Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) had introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization bill that would allow chaplains in the military to use specifically-Christian prayers at official military events. The Secular Coalition for America unequivocally opposes this measure, and released the following statement:
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</em><br /> <br /> * * *<br /> <br /> The Secular Coalition for America strongly believes that prayers of any kind at official military events are harmful to minority rights, but if chaplains do pray for official events, their prayers should be as inclusive as possible-in keeping with the Constitution and U.S. Supreme Court decisions. Rep. Bachmann's amendment would force the military to change their regulations and allow chaplains to invoke the religious figures of their choice at official military events, including but not limited to graduations and promotion ceremonies. <br /> <br /> "The primary function of the military chaplain is to engage in activities designed to meet the religious needs of a pluralistic military community," wrote the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in 1985, in <em>Katcoff v Marsh</em>. Army chaplains were hired to serve military personnel "who wish to use them," the Court observed; they are not authorized "to proselytize soldiers or their families."<br /> <br /> Given chaplains' mandate to serve a religiously pluralistic population, it is unacceptable for them to advance any one religious viewpoint over any other, including monotheism over other types of theism or nontheism. To change the current policy and permit references to Jesus, for example, is an insult to minority religions and nontheists of all stripes who serve our nation in the United States Armed Forces.<br /> <br /> This kind of legislative effort marks a disturbing trend. Last week a Virginia State Police chaplain invoked Jesus Christ in prayers during the police department's annual memorial service honoring fallen state troopers. Previously, police chaplains were not permitted to invoke religious figures of their choice at government-sanctioned events, but in April Virginia governor Bob McDonnell revoked the ban on sectarian prayers and the invocation of specific religious figures.<br /> <br /> Father of the Constitution James Madison described government chaplains promoting a majority religion as "majority tyranny."&nbsp; It would be wrong if enacted by our federal government just as it is wrong in Virginia-Madison's home state.<br /> <br /> If Rep. Bachmann's amendment moves to the floor of the House, we urge all Members of Congress to vote against changing current military policy to allow for sectarian prayers.</p>
<p>For Immediate Release:<strong> </strong>May 26, 2010</p>Press ReleasesChristian NationOfficial PrayersPrivileging ReligionReligion in the MilitaryWed, 26 May 2010 18:33:23 +0000Paul Fidalgo265 at https://www.secular.orgSean Faircloth's Video Message on the National Day of Prayerhttps://www.secular.org/node/257
<p>Today, the government's observance of the National Day of Prayer goes forward despite the recent federal court ruling that deemed the event unconstitutional. Two bills are currently making their way through the House of Representatives that aim to protect the National Day of Prayer--as if it needed protection--one of which has over 80 co-sponsors, about one-fifth of the entire House. <br /> <br /> I wanted to share some thoughts with you about how this blatant example of government establishment and endorsement of religion underscores the importance of the integrity of our judicial branch. In light of Justice John Paul's Stevens pending retirement, the activity surrounding the National Day of Prayer reminds us how important President Obama's choice for his replacement will be for Secular Americans, and all Americans who care about the separation between church and state.<br /> <br /> Take a look at my video message to you, and forward it to at least five friends. If you haven't already, <a href="http://action.secular.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=2963"><strong>write to President Obama</strong></a> via our action alert and let him know you want him to nominate a Supreme Court justice like John Paul Stevens. Be sure you and your friends make your voice heard about the future of the Supreme Court and the importance of keeping religion out of government.</p>
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</p>VideosChristian NationOfficial PrayersThu, 06 May 2010 18:19:43 +0000Paul Fidalgo257 at https://www.secular.org